The post New Mail Voting Rules Moved Forward Despite USPS Officials’ Concerns About Mass Disenfranchisement appeared first on ProPublica .
Page A11From§Eachthe breakfast edition — 2 September 2026
Congress dodges shutdown; USPS warns mail voting rules risk mass disenfranchisement
Congress takes the shutdown off the table (19), but the USPS warns that new mail voting rules could lead to mass disenfranchisement (22). The receipts show the priorities: keep the government functioning, but leave the voting infrastructure in a state where entire groups can miss their ballots. The juxtaposition isn’t an accident. The shutdown was solved for the midterms, but the mail voting rules moved forward despite clear warnings from the people who actually deliver the ballots. The ledger’s gap is right at the foundation: the government stays open, but the door to voting narrows. It’s a trade: stability for some, exclusion for others. The receipts land on the mailbox — the bill to fix the wires is missing from your mailbox, but so is the ballot.
“Congress avoids the shutdown, but the post office says the new voting rules could leave whole neighborhoods without a ballot. The government stays open, but the door to voting narrows. It’s what you get when the lights are on and the mailbox is empty.”
“The important thing is Congress kept the government running. Any concerns about mail voting are surely just technical issues — nothing that can’t be fixed after the midterms. Did I say after? I meant, uh, soon. Anyway, democracy is safe and sound. Except maybe for mail.”
The receipts
In today's issue: ▪ House sends funding bill to Trump ▪ Markey coasts to victory over Moulton ▪ U.S. launches new Iran strikes ▪ Postal Service whistleblower issues warning Members of both parties came together Tuesday as the House easily approved a short-term funding measure to keep the government open into December and rule out the…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.